Collapsible vessel for atmospheric motors.



PATENTED JUNE 30, 1903. W. M. FULTON. COLLAPSIBLE VESSEL FOR ATMOSPHERIG'MOTORS, APPLICATION FILED M10. 9. 1901.

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No. 732,627. I

UNITED STATES Patented June 30, 1903.

PATENT OFFIC WESTON'M. FULTON, OF KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 732,627, dated June 30, 1903.

Application filed December 9, 1901. Serial No. 86,280. \No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, IVESTON M. FULTON, a

resident of Knoxville, Tennessee, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Collapsible Vessels for Atmospheric Motors,

which invention is fully set forth in the following specification.

My invention relates to atmospheric motors or motors utilizing variations in atmospheric temperature as a motive power, and more particularly to the construction of the collapsible vessel usually employed in this class of motors. It is desirable in many instances to employ collapsible vessels of very considerable size in order that the motor may have power sufficient to perform the work desired, and such large vessels, with their attached motor mechanism, occupy a large amonnt of space in locations where space is frequently a matter of great importance.

The object of the present invention is to provide a collapsible vessel for use in atmospheric motors andforsimilar purposes which,

together with its attached mechanism, shall occupy the smallest possible space consistent with. the work to be performed by the motor.

With this object in view the invention consists of a collapsible Vessel having one or more of its wallsformed with a depression, indentation, or sunken portion, which depression may afford space for housing the attached mechanism or a portion thereof. The particular form or number of such depressions is not material, the principalessential being that suchdepression or depressions shall be so arranged as not to interfere with the expansion and contraction of the vessel within the practicallimits of its operation, thereby reducing the space occupied by the vessel without reducing the range of movement of the parts bywhic'h motion is transmitted to the motor. I

The inventive idea involved may he embodied in various mechanical forms, and for the purpose of illustrating the invention I have shown one of these forms in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure l is a vertical sectional view with parts in elevation, showing how, if desired, parts of the mechanism operated by the vessel may be housed within the depression or indentation formed therein; and Fig. 2 is an en'd wall 4 as thus formed.

enlarged detail view showing the arrangement of the power-shaft and gears.

Referring to said drawings, 1 is a collapsible vessel, here shown as having corrugated pass oversprocketwheels 9 and 10 on shaft 11,

mounted to turn in suitable bearings, (not shown,) said sprocketchains also passing over idlers 12 and 13.- The other end wall 4 is restrained from longitudinal movement in any suitable mannenas by securing it to the shaft 11 at 14 and 15. One or both of said end walls are formed with a sunken or indented portion, and Ihave here'shown the stationary Such sunken or indented portion 16 may be of cylindrical, rectangular, or any other suitable form, the particular form in the present instance being that of a frustum of a cone. Within the indented portion 16 any mechanism designed to be operated by the shaft 11 may be placed-as, for example, gears 17 and 18, loosely mounted on the sh'aft11 and having pawls 21 and 22 engaging oppositely with the ratchet-wheels 23 and 24, fast on shaft 11, so' as to convert the revolutions of shaft 11 in reverse directions into continuous rotary motion of the gear 19 and its shaft 20, which latter may or expansible walls is not aifected bythussinking the rigid end of the vessel, andhence the range of expansion and contraction is not reduced. It will also be noted that the yes sel having a sunken or depressed portion, as

described, possesses a larger surface area than one Without such sunken or depressed portion and is thus rendered more sensitive to changes in atmospheric temperature.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim is- 1. The combination of an expansible and contractile vessel having an indentation or depression in one of its end Walls and rigidly attached to a stationary object, power-transmitting mechanism located Within said indentation or depression, and means communicating the motion of the unattached or free end of said vessel to said power-transmitting mechanism.

2. The combination of an expansible and contractile vessel, a rotatable shaft journaled on one end of said vessel, means for transmitting the motion of the free end of said vessel to said rotatable shaft, a driven shaft, and means operatively connecting both shafts.

3. The combination of an expansible and contractile vessel having an indentation or depression in one of its end walls, a rotatable shaft journaled on, the indented end of said vessel, means for transmitting the movements of the free end of said vessel to said rotatable shaft, a driven shaft, and means partially inclosed in said indentation connecting both shafts.

4. The combination of a vessel having rigid end walls and flexible side walls, one oi. said end Walls being formed with an indentation or depression therein, a rotatable shaft, provided with pulleys and gears, connected to said indented end, a gear carrying a driven shaft, meshing with the gears on the firstmentioned shaft,and together with said gears, partially inclosed within the indentation, pulleys above said pulleys on the first-mentioned shaft, an endless connection or belt between the two sets of pulleys, and a connection be tween the endless connection or belt and the free end of the vessel, whereby the movements of said free end are imparted through the belt, pulleys and gears to the gear carrying the driven shaft.

5. The combination of an expansible and contractile vessel, power-transmitting mechanism connected to one end of said vessel and operated by the movements of the other end of said vessel.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WESTON M. FULTON.

\Vitn esses:

J. W. BROWN, J. O. SHIPERT. 

